Three area corn growers have been honored as a state winner in the 2013 National Corn Yield Contest, sponsored annually by the National Corn Growers Association.
Ms Rhoda Mast of Morgantown, Pa., placed third in the state in the No-Till/Strip-Till Irrigated Class with a yield of 255.8393 bushels per acre. The hybrid used in the winning field was Pioneer/P1319HR. Mr Ernest W Mast of Morgantown, Pa., placed second in the state in the Irrigated Class with a yield of 235.9128 bushels per acre. The hybrid used in the winning field was Pioneer/P1395. Mast Farms of Morgantown, Pa., placed third in the state in the Irrigated Class with a yield of 234.3025 bushels per acre. The hybrid used in the winning field was Pioneer/P1395.
The local growers were three of 434 state winners nationwide. The 2013 contest set a participation record with 8,983 entries from 47 states. Of the state winners, 18 growers – three from each of six classes – were named national winners, representing ten states.
The average yield among national winners was 354.67 bushels per acre, greater than the 2013 U.S. average of 158.8 bushels per acre. Five of the national winners recorded yields of 400 bushels or more per acre.
‘This fall, U.S. corn farmers reaped the bounty of their labors, harvesting a record crop that will provide food, fuel and fiber for our nation and our trading partners around the world,’ said NCGA President Martin Barbre, a corn grower from Carmi, Ill.
‘Our contest participants demonstrated that America’s farmers continue to strive for excellence while adopting state-of-the-art tools which help them meet those goals,’ Barbre continued. ‘The top yield in this year’s contest – a tremendous 454.98 bushels per acre achieved by David Hula of Charles City, Va., – is a testament to these efforts.’
Farmers are encouraged through the contest to utilize new, efficient production techniques. Agronomic data gleaned from the contest reveal the following:
Average planting population for the national winners was 39,166 seeds per acre, compared to 32,160 for all entrants.
National winners applied an average of 293 pounds of nitrogen, 76 pounds of phosphorus and 156 pounds of potassium per acre.
Average commercial nitrogen use per bushel of yield was 0.83 pounds for the national winners and 0.86 pounds for all entrants.
Forty-four percent of the national winners applied trace minerals, compared to 34 percent of all entrants.
Use of manure as a fertilizer was consistent. Twenty-two percent of national winners applied manure, compared to 14 percent of all entrants.
The National Corn Yield Contest began in 1965 with 20 entries from three states. The highest overall yield was 218.9 bushels per acre, while the national yield average was in the mid-60 bushel-per-acre range.
The winners were recognized February 28 at the 2014 Commodity Classic , the premier convention and trade show of the U.S. corn, soybean, sorghum and wheat industries, held this year in San Antonio, Texas. For a complete list of winners and for more information about NCYC, visit the NCGA website at www.ncga.com.
The National Corn Growers Association represents more than 40,000 members, 48 affiliated state corn grower and checkoff organizations, and hundreds of thousands of growers who contribute to state checkoff programs.
